Just Engaged: Brittany and Mario

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Just Engaged: Brittany and Mario

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School Daze

3/22

Brittany Powell, 28, met her fiance Mario Austin, 29, in middle school. She thought he was cute, but he was so shy, she had to have a friend hook them up. But later on he closed the deal when he surprised her with a ring. They’re tying the knot in Mexico next month — share their love.

I Always Knew It Was You

8/22

“Mario says he has known we were going to get married since the eighth grade,” reveals Brittany. “It took me a little longer. My parents have been married for over 35 years, so I just wanted to make sure it was right. They’re a pretty tough act to follow!”

I Always Knew

A Total Sweetie Pie

10/22

“Mario does sweet things for me all the time,” brags Brittany. “He makes sure we have at least one or two date nights a week. Sometimes I wake up in the morning to a single long stem rose.” Sounds like you picked a winner.

Love of My Life

11/22

“I wouldn’t say either of us really played hard to get, initially,” says Brittany. “We dated off and on through middle school and high school. He used to always tell me I was fickle. Of course, I wasn’t fickle back then — I just wanted to explore all my options. And trust me, he explored his, too!”

That's What Friends Are For

12/22

Mario enlisted the help of some of their friends when it came time to pop the question to Brittany. They hold up a giant sheet with the words “Will you” on it and when she turned around, he was on bended knee asking her to be his wife.

The Circle of Trust

13/22

“My friends love Mario,” says Brittany. “They all seem to have that brother/sister, love/hate relationship with him. They always pick on each other and talk about how much he eats. Whenever my friends are around there is a lot of teasing and taunting on both sides. But at the end of the day, it’s all love.”

One Of Us

Share My World

15/22

“Mario goes out of town with my parents to visit my grandmother whether I’m there or not,” says Brittany, who admits she loves how well Mario has fit into her world. “And he and my Dad are so much alike it’s scary.”

Momma's Boy

16/22

“Mario’s mother is deceased, but I knew her because we’ve been acquainted for so long,” says Brittany. “Mario’s mother was a beautiful, God-fearing woman who was loved by so many people.” It’s comforting for Mario to know that although his mother has passed away, Brittany is there to have his back.

A Mother's Gift

17/22

“The story on my engagement ring is so special to the both of us,” says Brittany. “Mario’s mother had a diamond ring from Tiffany & Co. He had Tiffany’s reset the ring using his mother’s center stone and he added a halo. It’s perfect! His mother meant the world to him, so it makes me feel special that he wanted to use her diamond as the center stone for my engagement ring.”